Cambodia Investment Review
Cambodia’s start-up and entrepreneurship community celebrated a milestone with the successful conclusion of the inaugural RG & CIR Start-Up & Innovation Festival 2023. Held on Saturday, April 8, the event brought together over 300 participants at FACTORY, showcasing the growth and evolution of Cambodia’s entrepreneurial scene.
The festival, organized by Rising Giants (RG) and Cambodia Investment Review (CIR), was made possible by its exclusive banking partner, ABA Bank, and the retail technology social enterprise, iCare Benefits Group.
The event showcased the growing maturity of Cambodia’s entrepreneurial scene, demonstrating that industry events can be self-sustainable and thrive without always the needed support of government and non-government donations.
A vibrant and self-sustaining entrepreneurial ecosystem
Harrison White, Founder and Editor of Cambodia Investment Review, commented on the success of the event: “The RG & CIR Start-Up & Innovation Festival has clearly shown the incredible potential of Cambodia’s rapidly maturing start-up sector. The valuable networking opportunities provided during the event have fostered an environment for growth and collaboration, paving the way for a vibrant and self-sustaining entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
The full-day event featured 5 speaking panels which included Cambodia’s most well-known creatives, start-up founders, and investors, engaging in private sector-led discussions on the country’s startup and innovation landscape. The festival also offered an interactive experience for attendees, including 12 corporate and startup booths, networking sessions, and a $500+ prize giveaway from event partners KOOMPI, Quantum, TRIBE, LAMY and Three Corner Coffee.
After the panel discussions attendees were invited to an open networking session with all the speakers with free-flow Budwiser and premium cocktails provided by our beverage sponsors AB InBev and Phnom Penh-based Samai Distillery – which also hosted the festival’s afterparty.
Bringing the online audience into a physical space
Max Thornton and Dom Kalousek, hosts of the Rising Giants podcast, were thrilled with the festival’s turnout and the opportunity to bring their online audience into a physical space.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the amazing response to the RG & CIR Start-Up & Innovation Festival. It was incredible to see our online community come together in person, fostering meaningful connections and sparking innovative ideas. This sold-out event has set the stage for an even bigger and better festival in the future,” they said.
The festival’s fully-digitalized ticketing process was hosted using the LIVE ticketing mobile application and on-the-day event operations management was assisted from Bill Sokhy Chea and the team at Phnom Penh Startup Grind the global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. “The festival showed a synergy and promising opportunities with engagement from participants and the five insightful Cambodia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Bill commented after event.
The RG & CIR Start-Up & Innovation Festival 2023 is a clear indication of Cambodia’s entrepreneurial progress and aligns with the goals outlined in the Cambodia Digital Economy and Society Policy Framework. By fostering a robust and sustainable start-up ecosystem, Cambodia moves closer to its vision of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030.
Rising Giants will be featuring the full-day discussion on its podcast and Cambodia Investment Review will be publishing feature articles about the 5 panel discussions over the coming weeks.
